EDITORIAL - Improving disaster response

It was good that the Cebu provincial police have admitted they lack the equipment for a quick response during disasters. For this would only mean there's really an immediate need for the Capitol to look into the matter.

According to Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, while they have the personnel trained in calamity response, the only problem is the scarcity of equipment.

It was only right for Gillamac to acknowledge such deficiency. He hit the perfect tone in his admission because this inadequate system only exposed the province's vulnerability during calamities.    

So the ball is now in the hands of the provincial government. Given the seriousness of the situation, it should immediately fix the problem otherwise another high count of death and destruction is inevitable.

Because Cebu is prone to various calamities, there should have already been an efficient system that quickly responds to the needs of the victims, especially in the area of search and rescue operation.

Preparedness is another area that the Capitol should work on to prevent a massive death toll. Based on experiences, local government units across the province failed to score high in this department.

Although northern Cebu had been spared from a high number of deaths during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda, preparation was still a big problem considering the lack of resources and proper guidelines.   

As a premier province, it is just necessary for Cebu to have the capability to efficiently handle calamities. Aside from trainings, it should have modern equipment ready for deployment in the event of a disaster.

Gillamac's admission should serve as a big challenge for the provincial government to look into the state of its disaster management. The police cannot handle this problem alone. They badly need the help from the LGUs to effectively deliver the services in times of calamities.